The Vienna Boys Choir, one of the oldest choirs in the world, has been a symbol of Austria for nearly 500 years.

On Sunday the Lincoln Theater presents the choir in concert at 5 p.m. In addition to classical choir favorites from Bach to contemporary music choir will perform short staged works and children’s operas, which allow the boys to show off their skills as actors, comedians and instrumentalists.

 The history of the Vienna Boys Choir is long. When Emperor Maximilian I decreed in 1498 that there were to be six boys among his court musicians, he unwittingly laid the foundation for the Wiener Säängerknaben (Vienna Boys Choir). Today, more than 500 years later, the Wiener Säängerknaben continues to sing. The give about 300 concerts and performances each year in front of almost half a million people. Each season they carry on the rich traditions of Vienna’s musical life as a living heritage that traces its roots to such figures as Mozart, Haydn and Schubert.

Over the centuries, musicians such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Caldara, Antonio Salieri and Anton Bruckner have worked with the choir. Some were members of the choir themselves including composers Jacobus Gallus and Franz Schubert, and conductors Hans Richter, Felix Mottl and Clemens Krauss. Brothers Franz Joseph and Michael Haydn were members of the choir of St. Stephen’s Cathedral and sang frequently with the imperial choir.

Today, there are about 100 choristers between the ages of 10 and 14, divided into four touring choirs. Together with members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera Chorus, the Vienna Boys Choir maintain the tradition of the imperial musicians by providing the music for the Sunday Mass in Vienna’s Imperial Chapel.

The choir’s repertoire includes everything from medieval to contemporary and experimental music. Motets and lieder for boys‚ choir form the core of the touring repertoire, as do the choir’s own arrangements of waltzes and polkas by Strauss. The choir has a long tradition of commissioning new works and now collects music while on tour. In the 1970s, the choir started to perform a cappella arrangements of songs by the Beatles. In 2002, the boys recorded their first ever pop CD, with songs by Celine Dion and Madonna. The choir has also contributed to a number of film soundtracks.

This concert is underwritten in part by the WineTasting Network and ambrosia.com. Tickets range from $15 to $30 and are available at the Lincoln Theater Box Office, 100 California Drive, Yountville by calling 944-1300 or by going to www.lincolntheater.org.

The Vienna Boys Choir

Lincoln Theater, Yountville

Sunday, March 25, 5 p.m.

Tickets: $15-$30

Box Office: 944-1300 or www.lincolntheater.org.